Following the opening match of the World Cup, the pressure will already be on South Korea and Czechia. Not only will they follow up after Mexico and South Africa have kicked off the tournament, but they’ll also have the unique scenario of knowing that one win could be all that a team needs to reach the knockout stage of the tournament. Both will have higher ambitions than just squeaking through, but being in Group A alongside one of the three host nations, it’s critical to start the World Cup off on the right foot.Thanks to the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, third-placed sides in each group will have a chance of advancing to the round of 32 due to the eight best among them going through to make up numbers in the knockouts. South Korea have a solid squad but their fate will come down to stopping set plays and tournament sharpshooter Patrik Schick.
CBS Sports
The Bayer Leverkusen man has struggled with health at times during his career, but when the lights come on for his country, Schick is putting the ball in the back of the net with 26 goals in 52 caps. This includes scoring 13 goals between the European Championships and World Cup qualification. This will be the first proper World Cup that Schick has played in, but there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be ready for his moment.Of course, South Korea have their talisman as well in the ever-present Heung-Min Son leading the attack. While he has been more of a creator than a scorer for Los Angeles FC this season, that doesn’t mean he won’t be taking the mantle as the attacker on this team. But Czechia can’t only focus on Son because Kang-In Lee and Hwang Hee-Chan can also put the ball in the back of the net if left in too much space.That’s part of what will make this such a fascinating chess match between these two teams. They have to try and match Mexico’s result against South Africa at a minimum, and doing that could be enough to secure qualification in the first round of play. Of course, that won’t change wanting to win the group and get a favorable path for the knockout stage, but there’s no better way to start off on the right foot than with three points in the new age of World Cup soccer that is upon us.Here’s how to watch the match:How to watch South Korea vs. CzechiaDate: Thursday, June 11 | Time: 9 p.m. ETLocation: Estadio Guadalajara –…
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2026-06-12 03:18:43
